Leading hospitals and science centers are supporting inventors like Kate Rochlin, founder of a
company called Immunovent. She has developed a brush to test for allergic reactions. The device is
placed in the nose or mouth. The test results are correct more often than skin or blood tests.
“And from one single sample from the nose or mouth we can test for a whole panel of 72 allergens.
We found that the blood test identified peanut allergies only 50 percent of the time, and we could find
it 99 percent of the time. So we are far more accurate for peanut diagnosis and that’s really
important because that one in particular is really life-threatening.”
Matthew Owens is the executive director of Harlem Biospace. He says there have been real signs of
success since the company was launched last November.
“We do have companies who are already shipping, getting revenue and getting products out to
customers. So, I think that is absolutely a success."
I'm June Simms.
And I’m Jonathan Evans. You are listening to As It Is from VOA Learning English.
India is home to tens of thousands of computer software engineers and a growing Information
Technology industry. The Internet companies Facebook and Google recently purchased two India-
based technology start-up companies. The business deals are expected to influence others to
launch start-up companies in the country. June Simms has more.
Interest Increases in Indian Start-Up Companies
Facebook closed its deal to buy Little Eye Labs in early January. Four engineers in Bangalore
launched Little Eye Labs about a year and a half ago. The company builds mobile application
software tools. The deal is said to be worth between $10 and 15 million. It is the first time Facebook
has purchased an Indian start-up company.
Google bought the cyber security company, Imperium. Imperium has offices in Bangalore and
California. Media reports set the value of the deal at about $9 million.
The two deals are considered small, but important.
Experts say they will help increase interest in Indian start-
ups among foreign technology companies. Such
businesses often buy small companies either for the
technology they develop or the ability of their creators.
Rutvik Doshi is with Inventus Capital Partners, an
investment company in Bangalore.
“Till date none of these large U.S. companies had ever
acquired anything in India, nothing to write home about. If
they both turn out to be successful for these respective
companies, they will then now start looking at India more seriously, in terms of there is more talent,
there is more technology, and entrepreneurship happening here. So from that point of view I think
even though these acquisitions may not be very large. But I think from the symbolic point of view, I
think it is the beginning of a new era.”
Indian software engineers have gained recognition around the world. Most of the engineers work for
big Indian technology companies. But the number of Indian technology start-up companies is on the
rise. Raising money for these start-ups is not always easy.
Rajesh Sawhney helped to create a company called GSF Accelerator. It provided financial support
for Little Eye Labs.
Mr. Sawhney says most of the start-ups in India have worked on developing products for the home